Digging-machine.



PATENTED DEC. '22, 1903.

' s. B. FLEMING. DIGGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1903.

2 SHEETSSHEIET 1'.

NO MODEL.

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No. 747,400. PATENTED DEC. 22, 190.3. s. B. FLEMING. DIGGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.16. 1903.

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UNiTED STAT-ES Patented December 22, 1903.

SAMUEL B. FLEMING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DlGGlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of .Letters Patent No. 747,400, dated December 22, 1903. Application filed March 16 1903. Serial No. 148,1l4. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL B. FLEMING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Digging-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to digging machines or excavators used for ditching or for supplying the material used in burning ballast. Its objects are to provide a machine of this character that may be conveniently operated, that will be effective in digging and dumping the material, and that will be durable and not liable to get out of repair.

It consists of a novel form of shovel, together with the operating mechanism, which will be fully described hereinafter and which are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view, partly diagrammatical,

showing a digging-machine embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the shovel. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same, showing the latches. Fig. 4 is a detail of the trip-rope drum, showing the means of taking up slack and tripping the latches on the shovel. Fig. 5 is an end view of the same.

In the operation of burning ballast the clay is dug from a trench alongside a railwaytrack and deposited on the open kiln or firebank at the side of the trench away from the track.

As shown in the drawings, 1 is a car adapted to support the digging mechanism and the necessary engines. A boom 2 projects from the side of the car and has a downwardly-extending bracket 3 at the outer ex-' tremity to form an attachment for the end of the shovel-supporting cable 4. This cable passes under a sheave 5 on the shovel 6, then up and over a sheave 7 on a mast 8, extend ing from the car, then down to the windingdrum 9. The shovel is drawn forward to be filled by means of a cable 10, which runs directly to a winding-drum 11 in the car.

The shovel comprises various novel fea tures, which are shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The body of the shovel comprises side plates 12, a back formed by rods 13, and a bottom 14, which is pivoted at 15 on a shaft 16, which is secured in the side plates. The digging prongs or teeth 17 are fastened to the bottom and bentover the shaft 16 to form the hinge for the bottom to swing on. Rigidly secured to the bottom plate at the sides near the rear end are latch-hooks 18, having shanks 19, which engage the side plates when the bottom is closed. The hooks l8 engage with the latch-hooks 20, which are pivoted at 21 and have their upwardly-extending arms 22 connected by a cross-bar 23, so that they may be operated simultaneously. A spring 24, secured at one end to this cross-bar and at the other end to an arm 25, fastened rigidly to the rods 13, throws the latches into engagement when the bottom is closed. The latches are tripped by drawing the bar 23 forward, which is preferably done by means of an arm 26, to which is attached a rod 27, having a keeper 28 on the cross-piece 29 on the shovelsupporting bail, in which the sheave 5 has its pintle. A rope 30 is tied to this rod and passes forward to the tripping mechanism in the car. The side arms 31, by means of which the drag-cable 1O draws the shovel, are pivoted at 32 and adjustably fastened at 33, as by the bolt 34, which may engage any one of a series of holes 35 in the side of the shovel.

The trip-rope 30, which is sufficientlylong to allow the shovel to travel to the end of the boom, is'secured at the end to adrum 36, rigidly mounted on a shaft 37 having any suitable bearings in the car. Another drum, 38, also rigidly mounted on this shaft, is provided with a rope 39, on which is fastened a weight 40. This rope is wound in the opposite direction from the trip-rope, and the weight is so adjusted as to take up the slack in the trip-rope at all times as the shovel moves out and back without danger of tripping the latches. It will be readily seen that if the shovel is moving away from the car and the drum 36 is stopped the trip-rope will be tightened and the latches tripped. This is accomplished at any desired time by means of ,a brake 41, adapted toengage a brakedrum 42, also rigidly mounted on the shaft 37. This brake is attached to a lever-arm 43, pivoted at 44 to any convenient bearing and having a depending rope 45, by which it isoperated.

In operation the cable 4 is slackened and the shovel allowed to drop into the bottom of the ditch. Then the drag-cable 10 is wound up, which draws the forward or digging portion of the shovel into engagement with the bank 46. When the shovel is filled, the dragcable is slackened and the vguide-cable 4 tightened, which causes the shovel to run out over the fire bank 47. When it has reached the point wlfereit is desired to dump the contents, the operator pulls down on the rope 45, which throws on the brake 41 and by the above-described mechanism trips the shovel-latches and dumps the load. It is found in practice that the bracket at the end of the boom forms an important feature in the successful operation of the shovel, as it can be guided out farther over the bank and kept under better control than by any other known form of attachment.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact forms of construction here shown and described; but

What I claim is- 1. The combination in a digging-machine of a framework, a boom extending therefrom, a depending bracket at the outer extremity of said boom, a mast from said framework, a guide-sheave on said mast, a shovel, a shovel supporting cable secured to said bracket, then passing under a sheave on said shovel, then over the guide-sheave to a windv for said bottom and means for tripping said latches.

SAMUEL B. FLEMING.

Witnesses:

A. J. RENNEN, S. P. MOKELVEY. 

